Fringe review: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

JEN LAVERY

IT’S not often I get to feel like I’m one of the youngest at a gig anymore, but that was certainly the case at the Assembly Rooms, when Martha Reeves and her Vandellas took to the stage.

MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS * * * * *

This was, in many ways, a great shame. Youngsters, you really don’t know what you are missing.

It’s almost impossible to review this queen of Motown without using the phrase ‘living legend’. On certain occasions such plaudits are justified, but in Reeves’ case, it’s well deserved.

While the audience got noticeably more animated during more recognisable hits such as Heat Wave, Dancing In The Street, Jimmy Mack and Nowhere To Run, each and every number was a testament to the durability of true talent, showcased by a voice that has most definitely stood the test of time.

And while many performers with careers of similar length and notability may well have got away with minimal audience interaction, Reeves has her stage-craft down to a T, chatting between songs from the outset, cracking jokes and even getting her own Bez-like dancer to come up and join her on stage after plucking him from the front row.